The present invention relates to a recording sheet finishing apparatus for automatically conducting the stapling operation by a stapler on recording sheets, on which images are recorded by an image forming apparatus, and after stapling, the recording sheets are delivered from the finishing apparatus. Specifically, the present invention relates to a recording sheet finishing apparatus appropriate for the image forming apparatus in which high speed processing can be conducted.
A recording sheet finishing apparatus, which is called a finisher, is used for an apparatus by which a plurality of recording sheets, on which images have been recorded and which are delivered from the image forming apparatus, are collated and stapled for each copying volume.
This finisher is connected with the image forming apparatus main body in terms of function, and is driven in correspondence with sequential operations of the copying processes.
Accordingly, with respect to the image forming apparatus which can conduct the copying processes at high speed, the finisher, which can perform its function at the correspondingly high speed of the image forming apparatus, is necessary.
Concerning the finisher which can carry out the copying processes at a high speed, various proposals have been made in the following publications: Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 142359/1985, No. 158463/1985, No. 239169/1987, No. 290653/1987, No. 310459/1988; and Japanese Patent Publication No. 41991/1993. In these proposals, since only one stapler is provided or only one delivery tray is provided in the finisher, the processing speed can not be greatly increased. Specifically, in the first two publications, since the function is necessary, in which a bundle of recording sheets stacked on two intermediate trays being collated, are conveyed to one stapler placed at another position, the structure becomes complicated, and additional operations are required, which are disadvantageous.